Sept. 1, 2015
Lafayette vs. William & Mary
|
| Gameday Info |
GoLeopards.com Gameday |
| Date |
Saturday, Sept. 5, 2015 at 6 p.m. |
| Location |
Easton, Pa. | Fisher Stadium |
| Tickets |
Lafayette Athletics Ticket Office |
| Game Notes |
Lafayette  | William & Mary |
| TV |
Lafayette Sports Network (RCN 4/8, 1004/608 in HD, WBPH-60)
Gary Laubach, Mike Joseph, John Leone |
| Live Streaming |
ESPN3.com, Patriot League Network
Gary Laubach, Mike Joseph, John Leone |
| Live Stats |
GameTracker |
| Social Media |
Twitter & Facebook |
| More Coverage |
YouTube Channel | Lafayette News Stand |
THE OPENING KICK
MATCH-UP: After a month-long training camp that began in early August, the Leopards are ready to begin the 2015 season, hosting William & Mary on Saturday at 6 p.m. at Fisher Stadium.
OPEN UP: Lafayette opens its 134th season against a William & Mary foe that it has played just three times previously. The Leopards have lost their last two openers (both against Sacred Heart). The last win in a season-opening game came against William & Mary on Sept. 8, 2012. All-time, the Leopards are 85-45-3 in openers.
THE SERIES: Saturday will mark the fourth meeting between the two schools in a series that began in 2012 with a 17-14 Lafayette win in Williamsburg, Va. Lafayette and William & Mary have played each year since, with William & Mary winning the last two meetings 34-6 and 33-19.
2014: Lafayette ended the 2014 season with a 5-6 overall mark, a 3-3 Patriot League record and a third-place finish in the conference standings. The Leopards' signature win came in the 150th meeting with Lehigh, a 27-7 victory over their arch-rival in front of a sold-out crowd at Yankee Stadium.
William & Mary finished the season with a 7-5 overall mark and the Tribe spent much of the season in the Top 25, peaking at No. 10 in week six of the season. W&M ended with a 4-4 league mark in the CAA, tied for fifth in the final standings. Three of the Tribe's five losses came to Top 25 teams, including two to top-10 ranked opponents.
RETURNING D: The Leopards return eight starters on defense with tackles Matt Rothrock and Steve Mercado coming back to the fold. Senior Mark Dodd and Chris Brockman come back at linebacker while seniors Matt Smalley (CB) and Jared Roberts (SS) return along with junior Draeland James (FS) and sophomore Phillip Parham (CB).
ON THIS DATE: A lot of things have taken place on College Hill since the school's founding in 1826, but none of them have been varsity football games. Lafayette has played at least one game on every other day in September.
THE CAPTAINS: Seniors Mark Dodd and Bobby DePietro have been selected as the team captains for the 2015 season. Dodd, a Preseason All-Patriot League selection, enters his second season as a starting linebacker after leading the team in tackles in 2014. DePietro, a tight end, played in eight games in 2014, making three starts while being used primarily as a blocker and pass protector.
THAT'S A BIG HOLE TO FILL: With the graduation of Ross Scheuerman, the Leopards will need to find a way to replace their top playmaker. Scheuerman led the team in rushing (236-1,191) and receiving (57-521) yards and accounted for 16 touchdowns.
Scheuerman was a four-time All-Patriot League selection at tailback who ended his collegiate career with 3,504 rushing yards and 31 rushing touchdowns in four seasons, marks that place him third and fourth, respectively, in the Lafayette record books.
Sophomore DeSean Brown and junior Kyle Mayfield are the frontrunners for significant carries in 2015. Brown was the team's second-leading rusher in his rookie season, averaging six yards per carry (247 yards on 41 carries). Mayfield missed most of his sophomore season after sustaining an ankle injury on a horse collar tackle in the season opener.
HONORING KELLER: Lafayette football is dedicating the 2015 season to Brian Keller '16 who passed away on June 25 after a car accident. Keller, who was entering his senior year, played 21 games during his career, including nine during the 2013 Patriot League championship season. His final appearance in a Lafayette uniform came in Yankee Stadium on Nov. 22, 2014 when he made two catches and helped push the offense to 309 rushing yards in a 27-7 victory.
To remember and honor their teammate, Lafayette players are wearing No. 80 helmet decals and have wristbands with "Live Like Keller" and "BK #80" emblazoned on them.
ABOUT WILLIAM AND MARY:
• William & Mary is coming off a 7-5 campaign in 2014 that ended with a .500 finish in the CAA (4-4) in a tie for fifth place.
• The Tribe returns seven starters on offense and six on defense with 43 letterwinners also returning for head coach Jimmye Laycock (William & Mary '70) who is in his 36th season at his alma mater.
• Junior Steve Cluley is the likely starter at quarterback. He played in 12 games a season ago, completing 57 percent of his passes for 2,048 yards, 11 touchdowns and four interceptions.
• Senior TB Mikal Abdul-Saboor is at the head of a solid running game, carrying for 1,266 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2014. He did not play against the Leopards last season, but ran for 103 yards against their defense in 2013.
• Defensively, Luke Rhodes is a two-time All-CAA performer and was named to the Butkus Award Watch list prior to the season. The Hollidaysburg, Pa. native serves as the team captain for second straight campaign after a 2014 season in which he led the team with 93 tackles. In the defensive backfield redshirt-seniors Jared Velasquez and DeAndre Houston-Carson have combined to start five seasons at safety.
